Onaiyekan to Presidency, We’re Done Talking, Govern Better

The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has dismissed criticisms from the Presidency over the Catholic Bishops’ recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu, saying the bishops have delivered their message and are now only interested in whether it will translate into improved governance.

Speaking during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, On Monday, Onaiyekan said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) would not be drawn into a public exchange with presidential spokespersons.

“We have spoken and the only response we are waiting for is whether it is affecting the way they are governing,” he said.

“I would not even answer that question. We have no response for them. That some of the supporters of government and spokespersons may have their own ideas about what they think they should be saying on behalf of their principal is their business, not mine.”

His remarks come amid a war of words between the Presidency and the Catholic bishops following their meeting with Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on July 28.

After the meeting, Onaiyekan disclosed in a television interview that the President disagreed with the bishops’ assessment of Nigeria’s economic and security situation, insisting that his administration’s reforms were yielding positive results.

The disclosure attracted criticism from presidential aides, including Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Daniel Bwala, who argued that Onaiyekan spoke only for the Catholic Church and not for all Christians. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga also faulted the bishops’ assessment, maintaining that the administration’s policies were putting Nigeria on the path to recovery.

In a separate statement titled Cardinal Onaiyekan’s Abuse of Clerical Privilege, presidential aide Temitope Ajayi said it was inappropriate for the cleric to publicly disclose details of the closed-door meeting with the President.

Responding, Onaiyekan said the bishops’ intervention was not driven by denominational interests but by their moral obligation to speak on issues affecting all Nigerians.

“We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. We went there as people with the spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God,” he said.
The cleric explained that the meeting was initiated by the bishops after months of seeking an audience with the President.

According to him, the purpose was not to evangelise or advance the interests of the Catholic Church but to present concerns about governance and the welfare of Nigerians.

“We wanted to share our views and thoughts about the government which he heads, hoping that our ideas will be taken into consideration,” he said.

Onaiyekan expressed hope that the engagement with the Federal Government would continue beyond the initial meeting, saying the bishops were open to further discussions.

“We are hoping that somehow or the other, he will invite us, not necessarily to meet him personally, but at least create an opportunity for us to provide more information and express more concerns than we could in the 10 minutes we had,” he said.

He stressed that the bishops had no political ambitions and urged the government to focus on the substance of their message rather than those delivering it.

“The document was prepared by the bishops of Nigeria and passed unanimously. We don’t have any political ambitions. Our church does not even allow us to engage in party politics,” he said.

On the economy, the Cardinal acknowledged the government’s emphasis on macroeconomic indicators but argued that the real measure of success should be the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.

“If we admit that the role of government is the welfare of citizens, then we are not going to judge success by GDP or World Bank statistics. The important thing is how the life of the Nigerian has improved,” he said.

He described youth unemployment as one of the country’s most pressing challenges, lamenting that many graduates remain jobless and unable to build stable lives.

“The terrible thing now is that many young people who struggled to finish university are unable to get jobs. They cannot think of marriage, starting a family or planning their future. That is terrible,” he said.

Onaiyekan added that Nigeria’s challenges require political will, honesty and fairness rather than expensive interventions.

“The only thing it takes is the political will to do the right thing, to be honest in how government is run, and to be just and fair to everybody,” he said.

He also called for broader engagement between the government and religious leaders, expressing hope that Christian and Muslim leaders would jointly engage the President on issues affecting Nigerians.

“It would be wonderful if we could organise a meeting with Mr President and all the religious leaders in Nigeria to discuss these issues together,” he said.